


Apricity

by BirdsOfFreedom



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Historical, Ancient History, M/M, Omega Verse, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, Warnings May Change, sort of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-29
Updated: 2016-12-07
Packaged: 2018-08-11 19:54:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7905538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BirdsOfFreedom/pseuds/BirdsOfFreedom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Armin thought life in his quiet mountain village was hard enough with all of society's expectations but he is about to discover that things can get worse. A whole lot worse.</p><p>Eren is finally going out on his first mission and not only that, but he is given the vital role of leader within his group. The task is simple. Attack and conquer the quiet mountain village before anyone knows what hit them. However things don't quite go according to plan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Augenblick

# Apricity

### Chapter 1

###### Augenblick: “In the blink of an eye”; a ‘decisive moment’ in time that is fleeting, yet momentously eventful and incredibly significant.

The cool autumn breeze slipped into the the tall wheat crop and rustled the browned kernels. Armin’s chiton rubbed up gently against his thighs as the smooth fabric strained against his skin as the boy bent amongst the tall stems of the village's winter harvest to pull weeds of daffodils out from in between the crop. Armin's small state of Sitarios was quiet this time of year, as merchants decided traveling up to the base of the mountains the village rested under was too much hassle the more the cold season set in, and had to be self-reliant for the next few months without traders coming in.

Being the last worker in the vast field Armin enjoyed the serenity of the moment as the setting sun painted the sky in vibrant orange and pink hues. He lifted his kneeling figure and closed his eyes against the last of the sunlight, feeling its warmth spread out across his flushed cheeks. Another gust of wind drew the sweet floral aroma from the flowers in his arms up into his nostrils and Armin sighed in contentment.

Out here Armin felt like the only human on the earth and for a moment in time he could forget about all the responsibilities waiting for him back home. He didn’t have to worry about the hustle of crowded streets and shouting shopkeepers. He didn’t have to be concern about the war brewing in neighbouring states. He didn’t have to remember that tonight he was meeting another potential suitor for marriage.

Out in the fields it was much more simple. He only had to focus on the task at hand and eventually he could let his mind slip into a world where there was no small village clinging to the mountain side that he had to return to and instead pretend that beyond this meadow there was only vast stretches of natural wonders waiting to be discovered.

A crow screeched to Armin’s left and took to startled flight. Armin jumped in alarm as he was jarred out of his daydream. His eyes followed the bird as it lifted higher into the sky but it was only when it had flown out of sight that Armin realised that an unsettling silence had fallen over the field. A chill traveled down the boy’s spine and gooseflesh rose on his arms. Clutching the daffodils closer to his chest Armin decided he had already stayed out long enough for his guardians to consider postponing his marriage discussion to a later date. They wouldn’t allow Armin to be seen by a possible suitor if he was coated in sweat and dirty from the day's work for it could tarnish their family’s prestigious reputation. 

Just thinking of his foster parents made Armin’s stomach swirl with disgust. He hated how false and deceitful they were. They had only willingly agreed to sanction Armin until he was of age because they knew they could exploit the child. Armin spent most of his days labouring tirelessly in the field either to pay off a debt his guardians owed to the state or to make extra earnings that were to be handed over to his foster parents, rarely with Armin getting to indulge in any of the luxuries his exhausting efforts paid for. Now that he was coming of age his foster parents had discovered that they could make a final profit from the boy by using his omega status as a tool to trick rich alphas into paying courting gifts for his hand in marriage.

Lost in his frustration Armin almost mistook the rustle of movement ahead of him for the wheat stems swaying elegantly in the wind. However his sharp mind locked onto the flicker of stark red that filtered through the reedy storks of the golden crop and Armin turned his head on a slight angle to get a better view at the mysterious object that had caught his attention.

Piercing teal eyes beamed back at him from between the wheat stems. Terror pulsed through Armin's veins. A harsh shrill forced its way up his throat and played out over his tongue as a ripple of dread crashed over him. Armin felt like his whole world had narrowed down to that one single point of focus.

This was no lost wanderer, wayward trader or mysterious stranger that had strayed into the state of Sitarios. This was a Lykonian warrior. That red cloak was unmistakable and as Armin’s mind raced to put the limited pieces of information together about why a Lykonian citizen was so far from their own state his brain concluded two facts. The unyielding truth that this warrior had shown up unannounced could only mean bad news. The other troubling certainty that plagued Armin with fear was that if there was one Lykonian warrior, then somewhere amongst the wheat crop he knew others were lurking.

Armin stared in horror as the warrior ahead of him seamlessly slipped forward. Armin stumbled back as the other male approached him. Already feeling greatly threaten, the fact that the other boy seemed to be around his own age did nothing to ease the knowledge that he stood more than a head taller than Armin, and this was the final push for Armin’s straining sanity to tumbled into panic.

Before the warrior could get any closer Armin lifted his arms and threw the handful of daffodils he had been crushing in his terrified grasp at the other boy. Then he spun on his sandaled feet and scrambled desperately away into the mass of tall wheat stems as he heard a startled gasp from the other male.

Armin ran blindly. Every step seemed to take too long as his breaths came in short bursts. Every small movement drew Armin’s immediate attention as his imagination turned thick storks into looming warriors. Armin now had to be cautious of two enemies, the Lykonian warriors and his own mind. He couldn’t afford to scream again for who knew how close the other warriors were. Armin tried to calm his raging pulse as he headed towards the village, keeping his head low in fear of giving his position away.

When Armin reached the fringes of the pasture he paused to assess his next plan of action. The distance to the gravel road that lead to his village was only fifty paces ahead of him but Armin knew from what he had read in books on the Lykonian people that they were a very physically fit cultural group. He had recalled how it had fascinated him to research the Lykonian people's strict government and education systems that trained its citizens to be fighters from very early on. Now that he was facing them physically and not through words on a page Armin was less curious and more terrified. He knew that if it came down to a race to safety, he wouldn’t win.

Instead his eyes traveled to the almost hidden side trail only a few paces from the edge of the crop that lead up the mountain to an old guard tower. Armin’s gut churned. He hadn’t stopped to consider the fate of his village since his encounter with the warrior. He let shame engulf him at his selfishness. He knew that while the village had never treated him kindly it didn’t mean that the few innocent individuals within its walls deserved the disaster that was about to unfold there.

Taking a calming breath Armin made his decision. He knew that the survival of the many came over the survival of the few and with that thought in his mind he sprang forward from the field and bolted for the winding path up the mountain.

###### 

Armin clambered clumsily up the slope of rough rocks, purposefully dislodging stones as he went to send them rolling down at his pursuers. The first Lykonian warrior he had seen in the field had been joined by two other warriors and together they steadily gained on Armin as they scaled almost effortlessly up the mountainside, sidestepping all the shrapnel Armin propelled their way.

By the time Armin crested the top of the trail he was wheezing harshly as his lungs struggled to keep up with him. Holding his side Armin stumbled forward through the searing pain of a stitch that had formed as he glanced up at the large wooden structure of the watch tower.

Reaching the door Armin grasped the handle and pushed. The heavy timber remained in place. Armin paled and pressed against the wood harder. The door grinded forward a few inches. Flicking a glance over his shoulder Armin spotted the first of the warriors breaching the top of the trail and locking their sights on him.

Turning back to the problem at hand Armin threw his shoulder roughly against the door and grimaced as the impact rattled his whole body. Ignoring the throbbing pain that blossomed in his shoulder he repeated the motion again and finally the timber entrance crack opened. Giving it one last desperate shove Armin managed to squeeze himself through the small gaped he had formed.

As he slipped from the slit of the entryway and made to climb the spiraling staircase to the top of the tower a hand tangled in his loose blond strands and yanked him back. With a startled yelp Armin instantly began struggling against the unyielding grasp. He twisted to face his attacker and realised a Lykonian warrior had reached through the gap in the door, being too large to slip through, and grabbed onto his hair to prevent his escape.

Armin knew he had to get out of the other man’s hold. He was too close to his goal to give up now. Abandoning his normal morals Armin did the only thing he could think of. Surging forward he opened his mouth wide and bit down with animalistic feralness into his attacker’s hand. The male yelped in surprise and released his hold on the boy.

Not wasting a second Armin was gone, winding his way up the twisting stairs and reaching the top in the blink of an eye and there it was. A rusted pit lay neglected in the middle of the top platform. Striding over to it Armin glanced inside and noted with relief the aged logs resting sombrely in the bottom, discarded there for the next time it would be used.

Bending around the pit Armin grabbed a large woven basket and dragged it towards himself. Reaching inside he retrieved a sealed animal skin pouch and two weathered stones. One of pentlandite and the other of granite rock. Perfect. Twisting the seal off the pouch Armin poured the remaining liquid from the animal skin over the logs in the pit and then discarded the pouch to the side. Grimacing as the pungent scent of animal fat hit his nostrils Armin forced himself not to recoil but to instead scoop up the stones in his cut palms and begin to strike the granite against the pentlandite.

A dull knocking echoed from the tower as Armin collided the rocks together. Sweat drenched Armin’s chiton and dripped off the tip of his nose. His body had started to turn numb as the exhaustion of the day caught up with him. His arms ached as he repetitively slammed the stones together but just as the boy was losing hope a spark leap forth from his efforts.

Focusing Armin applied the last of his strength into his tired limbs and finally a spark turned into a flame and Armin cheered in relief as the animal fat caught fire. In moments he was staring at a blazing pit. He could only hope now that his village was able to determine what the unexpected fire signal meant, seeming as the tower had laid untouched for well over half a century.

Armin’s victory was cut short when an elbow slammed into his ribs sending him barreling across the room. Dazed Armin turned from his place on the floor and looked up into the eyes of one of the elite warriors. The soldier stalked over to Armin in a rage. Raising his fist high, Armin squeezed his eyes shut against the oncoming assault. Yet the attack never came.

Peeking his eyes open Armin gasped at the shocking sight. The first Lykonian warrior he had met in the wheat field was crouched in front of Armin. In one of his fists he clasped the wrist of the warrior who had been about to harm Armin. Armin’s eyes traveled down the toned arm, observing how the muscles were strained with tension as it held off the brute force the assailant had been applying in his angry strike at Armin.

Confused Armin locked eyes with his unexpected saviour's teal ones for the second time that day and watched as the boy’s nostrils flared. Without thinking Armin copied the action and let the scent of the other boy clog his nose. 

His aroma was one of soil, sweat and unfamiliar animal pelt. His pheromones screamed dominance, power and control. It was clear from his scent that he had enjoyed the hunt Armin had provided and he took pleasure in defiantly challenging his comrade by preventing him from harming Armin. There was no doubt in Armin’s mind. This boy was definitely an alpha.

Armin’s eyes widen in sudden realisation of his actions. He had just scented another person without their permission and regardless of the fact the other boy had done it first he couldn’t halt a flush from engulfing his cheeks. One was only meant to scent a potential mate and Armin knew that his current situation of life or death demanded more attention than keeping to society's moral expectations but he couldn’t help one last lingering look into the alpha’s teal eyes. There was something captivating about the fierce resolve blazing within them.

“Jean. Step back willingly before I make you by force.”

The warrior crouched over Armin spoke in a dangerously low tone. It was a clear warning to the other male, who Armin assumed must be Jean, to back off unless he was willing to risk a fight. The room was still and the tension was palpable in the air. Armin held his breath.

Then with a _tch_ the warrior looming over Armin and his saviour roughly pulled his arm free from the alpha's hold and turned his back on them, pacing over to the other side of the room.

“Fine, but just because he is an omega doesn’t mean he gets to be spared from the same fate as the rest of them, Eren. Even if you’ve got the hots for him.” Jean stubbornly remarked, obviously not willing to go down completely without a fight.

“If you touch him, I will break your hand. I was appointed leader for this mission and I will not deal with your stupidity right now...horseface.” Eren, Armin’s rescuer, responded, adding on an insult at the end that caused Jean to begin to advance toward Eren again, who stood up to meet the challenge.

Before they could start the fight that was brewing a third warrior entered the room. As he panted heavily all heads turned to look at him. Unlike the other occupants of the room, this warrior had hardly any hair. With a close cut shave he stood out for all the wrong ways compared to his comrades and Armin allowed himself to be baffled by the oddity of the moment. He breathed and the moment broke and reality came flooding back in.

“The town has been alerted that something is amiss. Commander wants everyone there for the infiltration,” and then motioning his head towards Armin, “but you should probably do something about him first though.” The new entrant announced hastily. All eyes focused on Armin and he gulped in discomfort at the unwanted attention.

“Let me deal with him. He needs to be taught a lesson or two after biting me.” Jean approached Armin again and this time Eren didn't step in to block his path.

“Jean I swear if you do something stupid I'll personally-”

“Oh relax. He’ll be fine,” as Jean loomed over Armin the boy tried to crawl backwards away from him but felt dread turn his blood to ice when his spine connected with the wall, “I hope.” Armin only had a second to register what was happening before Jean had raised his hand, which was now grasping one of the stones Armin had used to start the fire pit, and brought it harshly down upon Armin’s temple. Armin’s world blinked to blackness and he fell unrelenting into its embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely readers, I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you for reading this. While I have an idea where I want this story to go I have not finished outlining the plot so all comments are appreciated and your reactions have the power to influence the flow of this story. 
> 
> I also wanted to state that this is a fictional historic world based largely off the ancient Greek World. Eren's warrior clan, Lykonia, is inspired greatly by the Spartans and Armin's village, Sitarios, is based off a small remote mountain town that was common in the ancient world.  
> If anyone is confused by terms or phrases feel free to comment and I will answer. Enjoy~


	2. Occāsus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When one life ends, another shall begin.

# Apricity

### Chapter 2

###### Occāsus: Sun-setting; Ruin; End; Death.

The darkness pressed in around Armin and he distantly heard a low groan reach his ears from far away. The black was pierced by a slither of sharp light that split the dark in two. Opening his eyes, Armin peered up at the twilight sky and realised the groaning was coming from himself as he let out another anguished noise caused by the sudden pain that ricocheted in his skull.

Blinking he tried to remember what had happened and why he was still out so late. He had to be home before his curfew or else he would be punished by his guardians and Armin already felt like his body had been through a beating. Pushing onto his elbows Armin tried to sit up only to have his vision spin in front of him and the pain in his head burst into unbearable agony as he let himself fall back down onto the earth. 

"Woah, steady there. You probably shouldn't be moving just yet, you took quite the hit earlier." An unfamiliar voice reprimanded Armin, and just like that, reality slotted itself back into Armin's conscious mind and fear washed over him with his new found recognition as he remembered the events from earlier in the afternoon. 

Turning sharply he was faced with the Lykonian warrior from the field. Pulling the memories back into his groggy mind he recalled the man had been called Eren by his fellow warriors. Armin turned his head slowly as he looked to see if he could spot any of the other men from the watch tower while he tried to quell the panic that was rising fast within him as he lay prone before the invader. After a quick scan of the vicinity Armin concluded that the only obstacle he had to face was the man beside him as the other warriors were nowhere to be seen. 

The man stared at Armin, trying to pass off his gaze as nothing more than curiosity, but Armin noted the glint of remorse in his eyes. The fear flared inside him again and this time Armin grasped onto it like a lifeline. He used the pulse of panic fuelled adrenaline to push himself into a sitting position. His abrupt movement startled his unwanted companion and Armin seized the moment to scramble backwards. His hand hit a rock and he fisted it and raised his arm, ready to throw it if the other male approached.

"Hey, easy there!" Eren held his hands out in a calming gesture, as if he was trying to sooth a wild beast and not a small terrified omega. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Armin stared at him in disbelief as he felt his head pulse in agony from the hit it had taken earlier. The warrior realised his mistake.

"Well, not anymore, but that was only because you fled! We couldn't let you escape and warn your village." Armin felt his jaw drop open and the other man had the decency to flush at his blunders. "W-which you managed to do anyway so let's just forget about that." He scratched the back of his head as his cheeks reddened more and Armin felt a sudden rage.

"How dare you."

"Huh, what did you say?" The Lykonian warrior lent forward as if to better hear Armin's mumbled words. Armin could only feel the intense resentment deepen inside him. How dare these warriors come into his home, his peaceful state and do heaven knows how much damage and then act so carefree. No, Armin would not let them. He would not let _him_. 

"How dare you!" This time Armin screamed it as he flung the stone from his hand. The rock hit, unfortunately missing Armin's targeted area of the skull, and instead smacked into the male's stomach. Eren gave a small whine but the knock was enough to throw the man off balance again for a moment. 

Springing to his feet Armin dashed away into the tall grass surrounding them. It wasn't nearly as tall as the wheat field, with the spiky grass tips only just brushing against his hips, and Armin grounded his teeth together at the lack of cover it provided in his escape. It was going to have to be enough he thought as he pushed forward, going as fast as his aching body allowed. 

Keeping his ears perked for the sound of pursuit Armin gave a startled shriek when strong arms locked around his waist and a heavy force tackled him off his feet. Frailing Armin struggled to break free of the iron grip around him. 

“Let me go! Let me go!” The fear was apparent in Armin’s voice and reinforced the desperation he felt. He hated how his foster parents had treated him but in this moment he desperately wished that right now he was at home, in the security and warmth of his sleeping pallet and that this was just a horrible nightmare conjured by the stress of working exhausting hours in the field mixed together with the stories Armin always read before bed creating this terrifying delusion. Yet the rational side of his brain knew this was real, and the pressing weight of the other man on top of him only made that fact more prominent. Armin doubled his efforts at escape kicking his limbs out in defense.

“Hey, easy now! Would you just stop struggling? You're making this more difficult than it has to be.” Eren loosened his grip only to flip Armin over so he was now facing the male upon him. “Would you calm down, plea-” the man cut off whatever he was saying to sniff the air. With an unexpected tenderness he leant down and breathed in deeply at the dip in Armin’s neck. Armin froze. Instincts within him made his heartbeat accelerate at the close contact and sent a dizzying blankness through his head, making it hard to think about anything but the scent that now rippled off the man above him. 

It was a powerful smell that reeked of dominance and, if Armin wasn’t mistaken, was laced with a hint of worry. That couldn’t have been right. Yet as Armin focused his eyes to stare into Eren’s own, he saw the same concern etched on his face. 

“You, when was your last heat?” And the second Armin processed the warrior’s words his cheeks bloomed a deep red. The man was too blunt. Perhaps he was an idiot to be asking such an inappropriate question at such a dire time.

“T-that’s none of your business. Now get off of me!” As Armin protested he shoved the other man back. Or tried too. He discovered he couldn’t knock Eren off his small body. Instead Armin found himself distracted by the feel of the firm chest, hidden under the warrior's red tunic, being pressed against his palm. A light-headed feeling settled over him as Armin felt his hand slide further up the man’s chest until it was gently cupping Eren’s cheek. Armin found his body moving on its own as he slipped his other hand around the warrior’s shoulders and instead of pushing him away, he tried to pull Eren closer. Armin heard a small whine escape his throat as a knot formed in the pit of his stomach and a wave of giddy childishness washed over him. 

Everything about this situation felt bizarre. Armin tried to take deep calming breaths but the more air he drew into his lungs only meant that more of the alpha’s scent filled his head and blinded his senses. Armin saw Eren’s wide eyed staring through a filter, he felt like someone else was moving his body. His arms felt weighted with lead but still he desperately clung to the man, urging the warrior to move closer, in order to gain more skin to skin contact. He felt the uncontrollable impulse to bite and tried to lift himself to the task but an unexpected force held him down.

Peering up Armin stared doe-eyed at the male pinning him down. The warrior had collected Armin’s hands and successfully secured them to the ground on either side of his head. Armin squirmed, already feeling the loss of the contact but at the same time a relief washed over him as the knot in his stomach loosened slightly. He realised his face must have been flushed and his skin felt hot. Anxiety filled him like water in a well. Why was he acting this way? Was he in heat? It was too soon, he still had a month left before his next one.

The warrior remained silent as he kept Armin restrained. Armin felt tears prick his eyes and soon he was outright sobbing. He didn’t want to cry, but the thought that his heat had possibly become irregular and had chosen right now to flare up, when he was at the mercy of this enemy warrior, was petrifying.

He felt like a stranger in his own body. His skin begged for the friction of rough contact with the alpha above him but his mind was screaming for mercy. His mind knew this was not what Armin wanted, he didn’t want any of this and in only a couple of hours Armin’s whole life had unraveled.

All Armin could think about were all the stories he had heard about omegas being hunted down when they were in heat and being violated by crazed alphas, before they were brutally murdered to prevent bastard offspring being born. Pinned down and afraid, Armin knew there was no escape, all he could do now was pray that the same fate those unfortunate omegas had suffered was not the same one the Gods had planned for his own future. Armin didn't want that. He wasn't ready to die.

“Do what you want, just please, when you are done let me go. _Please_ let me go afterwards…” Armin had never felt more shame in his life but he wanted to survive and he was willing to beg for his life. He could only hope that this warrior had even a shred of empathy within his core to allow Armin to keep his life when he had finished ravishing the omega's body.

 _Silence_.

Eren said nothing and Armin shivered with dread as the alpha lowered his head into his neck again. Armin tried to muffle the moan clawing up his throat as tears spilled from his eyes. His body and mind were tearing him apart as they both demanded separate reactions from him. It was too much and Armin felt overwhelmed as the warrior on top of him shifted so both their foreheads were pressed together.

“I’m sorry. You must be in great agony. Someone has given you erosdelso, unless you took it yourself, which I highly doubt. I can smell it in your pores.” It took Armin a moment to process the man’s words, too focused on the sensation of the warmth being emitted from the other man’s skin. 

Erosdelso. Armin recognised the name as that of a flower. It was infamous for its powerful effects when given to an omega. In small doses it forced an omega to go through heat like symptoms and was often used to help encourage pregnancy outside of heats. If it was consumed in large enough quantity it could trigger an omega to enter their heat early. Armin couldn’t begin to understand how he had managed to eat some. Yet before he could open his mouth to protest the alpha’s statement Armin thought back to the unusual breakfast he had to endure that morning. 

Thinking back on it now felt like years ago but it had been so strange it had stuck in his mind. His foster mother had prepared him breakfast, which was something she had not done for him since they first adopted him at age six, while his foster father detailed the plans for Armin’s meeting with his potential mate that night. Then both of his guardians had sat down at the table to eat with Armin. Which had been odd and somewhat nice. Armin had almost allowed himself to believe that they could act like proper foster parents.

Now Armin felt his blood turn cold as he saw that morning play over again in his head with this new information. His foster mother had mixed erosdelso into his food while his foster father distracted him. Then they had both sat down and watched him eat to ensure he had ingested it. Armin wanted to throw up as their final parting words to him that morning rang out in his mind. 

_‘Armin make sure you come straight home when you finish in the fields today. Do you hear me, straight home with no delays.’_

Armin knew that they must have done it to guarantee that he would accept the suitor he was meant to be meeting that night. He grinded the backs of his teeth together as another set of tears left his eyes, this time out of the stinging betrayal. While Armin had not liked his guardians, he never thought they would stoop as low as to try and force a mating against his will. Armin let out a snarl as he thought about his foster parents. 

“Hey, it’s not that bad, it seems you only had a small dose. You’ll feel better in no time.” A gentle hand wiped the tears from his cheek and Armin blinked in confusion. Eren had a strained smile plastered on his face. Sweat had beaded on the tip of his nose and Armin felt a shudder of desire pulse in his stomach as he watched the alpha’s eyes flicker down to his lips. Armin felt control of his body slipping as the craving for touch sparked inside him again. 

Armin felt tense, he had never seen the impact of erosdelso first hand before, let alone experienced it. All he knew of it came from the books he had stolen from his guardians’ study room. Now that he was under the influence of the flower he thought he would feel more distressed, but after observing how the male above him was putting so much effort into straining his own body to resist the pheromones Armin was certain he was emitting, he felt safe. Which was baffling as this was the same warrior who had chased and pinned him down to begin with, yet he also hadn’t forced Armin to mate with him. At least not yet. Eren was denying his own instincts when he had the perfect opportunity to have his way with the omega underneath him and Armin couldn’t help but be thankful for the alpha's immense willpower.

The need inside of Armin blazed and all his thoughts were burnt with it. Armin didn’t know what to do, so with desperation he turned to the warrior above him as the fire inside him became painful. “Is there...anything I can do to make it s-stop hurting.” He almost gave up talking as his gut cramped.

Eren lowered his body onto the ground next to Armin’s. With a hand on his shoulder Eren turned Armin to face him, until they were both on their sides, staring into each other’s eyes. Armin tried to decipher what the warrior was planning but the searing pain inside his stomach grew in its intensity as his body demanded touch. “I’m not sure there is much you can do, but there is something I can do. That is, if you permit it.” As he spoke he guided Armin’s head until it was buried in the taller man’s own neck.

Armin let himself relax as the alpha’s scent enveloped him and it eased the pain inside of him slightly. Pressing his nose into the tan skin at the Lykonian’s jugular Armin could feel Eren’s heart beat pounding in quick steady beats, the only sign of how much the alpha was truly being affected by Armin’s current vulnerable state. “Please, anything to make the pain stop.” The words were muffled and whispered but the alpha gave a small hum of acknowledgement. 

“If it is too much I will stop.” Once the words left his mouth he slid his hand between both their bodies and under the hem of Armin’s chiton, pushing the material up. Armin gave a shout of shock that melted into a groan as Eren wrapped his hand around his member. He began moving his hand in steady pumps. “Is this alright?”

Armin tried to swallow the whine caught in his throat as his body was set alight with pleasure. “Yes.” He barely registered the words leaving his lips. “Yes.” Armin breathed the words as he nuzzled closer to the other man’s heat, his hands clawing at Eren’s shoulders for support. It didn’t take long for the blaze inside Armin to build up until it was unbearable and Armin’s whole body shook with his release. 

A moment passed and Armin lay pressed against the Lykonian as he tried to catch his breath. “Do you feel better now. Has the pain eased?” As Armin moved his head to look at Eren he was halted by dry lips being pressed with a great tenderness against his forehead. Confusion filled Armin as he sent questioning eyes at the other man yet he only received an expectant gaze in return.

“I feel…” Armin stopped to assess himself, and came to conclude that the fire in his stomach had dispelled and only lingering traces of unease were left, “...much better.” Armin knew he should pull away from this man, but something made him stay. He watched the man carefully as he used his clean hand to tug Armin’s chiton back down and wiped his soiled hand on the grass beside him. “Why would you do that for m-”

“I have seen the effects of erosdelso on an omega before. They however, were not as lucky as you were. I merely did not wish to see another suffer like they did.” Armin saw guilt flicker through the alpha’s eyes, but in a blink it was gone, and harden eyes stared back at him. “Now that we have solved that problem, it’s time I took you back to the others.”

Armin’s pulse quickened. He could feel the exhaustion of the day pressing down on him and he already knew he couldn’t outrun the other male after his last few failed attempts. That meant all Armin could do was surrender to the Lykonian in front of him and see what happened.

Armin remained silent as Eren retrieved a coil of rope from the belt around his waist. Armin hadn’t noticed it under the man’s cloak and as he observed closer he noted a sword sheath clipped onto the leather belt. Armin allowed himself to thank whatever Gods watched over him that the warrior had not seen a reason to draw the blade on the omega so far. 

When the rope was held out before him, Armin allowed himself one last look at his surroundings. In the last of dusk’s light Armin breathed in the air as a free man. As he breathed out he presented his wrists to the warrior and watched in silent sorrow as they were bound by cord. 

###### 

As the darkness of the night settled, Armin walked behind Eren in sombre thought. He had started smelling smoke as soon as they began walking towards his village. The tangy scent filled Armin with ominous dread almost as much as the occasional scream carried over to them by the wind. Eren had loosened the leading rope that was tied around Armin’s bound wrists to give him space to sort his head out when the screaming had started, but despite his leniency he still had twisted the other end of the rope around his arm in case Armin tried to escape. 

As they crested the hill they had been walking up Armin’s feet slowed. Blazing in the night at the base of the mountain was Armin’s village. The buildings had been set alight. What was worst was the silence that had settled over the town. The yelling had ceased and now the only sounds that filled the night was the faint crackle of the flames and the rustle of the grass as a cool breeze filtered through it. 

“No. This can’t be real.”

Armin hadn’t even realised he had spoken out loud until he felt a pull on the rope. “Keep walking, you never know what animals might roam these hills.” Yet Armin couldn’t tear his eyes from the only home he had ever known as it burnt. If felt surreal viewing the disaster from this distance, his village look like a small fire, lighting up the dark.

Armin could only call himself a pathetic coward as the overwhelming urge to run away flared inside him again as he realised the true danger he was about to walk into as the brutal reality of what his captors were capable of set in. He had now witnessed first hand just how far they were willing to go. Armin’s wrists stung from the rope rubbing his skin raw. It was just like him he thought with a sharp bitterness as tears welled up in his eyes. Always a useless mess. All he could ever do was cry. The self hatred lodged in his throat and Armin choked on his next breath.

A loud sob squeezed free from his mouth and his legs buckled under him. His movements jerked Eren back as the rope pulled taunt. From his position in the dirt Armin could see the flames of his village still burning. He allowed his eyes to mercifully escape the horrible destruction below as he watched the smoke rise up in twisted plumes into the starry night sky far above. 

The realisation that there was no home left to go back to hit Armin hard. As he wailed Eren paced back to his side and crouched next to him. A hand rubbed soothing circles into the omega’s back but Armin barely noticed it. It was the end of his simple life as his village lay in flaming ruins before him. He refused to let his mind try and calculate the amount of death that taken place today. He didn’t want to think anymore as the anguish took over. 

Armin wasn’t sure how long they both had sat there as he cried. Eventually Eren had stood up and attempted to coax Armin into finding his own feet, but he had been shrugged off. With a heavy sigh the warrior had bent down and scooped the other male into his arms without any protest. Turning Eren carried his captive into the night. 

Armin peered over the warrior’s shoulder as they started moving away from the carnage. As his tears spilled uselessly to the ground Armin watched the glow of his home get smaller and smaller until it was nothing but a speck. With the last of his emotional strength Armin forced himself to look away with a great finality. 

It was over.

He had to try and make the best of his situation from now on. “Put me down. I can walk on my o-own.” Armin ignored his stutter and wiggled in Eren’s grip. The man flinched as if he had forgotten he was carrying the omega but relented his hold of the other man. He lowered Armin onto his feet gently and grasped the end of the lead again.

However as Eren moved off to start walking once more Armin made sure to try and keep in step next to him. He refused to let himself be led around like a stray dog, if Armin was going to be tied up he was going to do it with the last bit of dignity he had left.

As small campfires became visible in amongst the treeline Armin squared his shoulders and lifted his chin. He was damn right terrified of what waited for him in the enemy encampment, but he was determined to not let it show. These were the people who had taken everything from him.

What more could they possibly do to him now?

_If only Armin had known._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, I am terribly sorry for the long wait but I would like to thank everyone who commented and left kudos on this work, you have been a huge boost of encouragement and I sincerely thank each and every one of you. 
> 
> I am only now just beginning to understand how to properly format my works on Ao3, so thank you all for being patient with me as I work it out. 
> 
> Final note, there has been a rating change as those who have read this chapter will understand why. It's not very detailed but that's the way it is meant to be. Also the morals and ethnical standards in this are based on ancient times, when walking around naked was considered a way of showing off one's natural strength and beauty and in some places it was even encouraged by the State.


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